Command Performance
by dreamer one
Summary: Sam is summoned to Earth for yet another IOA report. But is all as it seems? Written for Valenship at Gateworld's Sam and Jack Family Discussion Thread.


A/N: Written for Valenship at Gateworld's Sam and Jack Family Discussion Thread.

Takes place during Atlantis, season 4.

* * *

COMMAND PERFORMANCE

"Don't stress over this Colonel," John Sheppard said, "it'll be over before you know it. You'll be back by dinner."

"Right," Sam said in as pleasant a tone as she could muster. After all, it wasn't John's fault Richard Woolsey had summoned her for yet another IOA command performance. Sheppard was just the lucky one elected to see her off.

"Sorry," she added. "You're right, of course. This little report should only take a couple hours or so. Still, nothing says I have to like it."

Sam could have sworn her second-in-command chuckled at that comment. Of course, she'd never have accused him of that. Instead, with a determined stride, she walked through the event horizon, resigned to her fate.

OoOoOo

Sam managed to make it through the Midway Station layover with a minimum of negativity. Fortunately, events on Atlantis had been fairly peaceful over the past month or so, leaving her free to make the trip. And John Sheppard was more than capable of handling current affairs in her absence. But the nerve of the man, to simply presume she had nothing better to do than to be at his beck and call.

By the time Sam arrived at the SGC, she was starting to grouse in earnest, silently of course. As she made her way to the interrogation room where she was due to meet with Woolsey, her inner mantra went something like this: _"What a self important little twit he is! I was here two weeks ago. What could the IOA possibly want with me now?" _

Fortunately, by the time Sam ran into General Landry in the hallway, her military persona had taken over and she was the essence of professionalism.

"General, Sir," Sam greeted him stiffly.

"Colonel, it's good to see you," Landry said. "He's waiting for you," he added, Sam assuming he referred to Woolsey. "Please tell him we've taken care of his requirements."

Sam looked at Hank Landry quizzically. She'd learned long ago not to question her military superiors any more than necessary, so she kept silent. However, no words were necessary.

"Don't worry, Colonel," Landry said. "He'll understand. Oh, and you'll need this," he added, handing her a passkey. With what could only be described as a Cheshire cat grin, Landry waved goodbye and went on his way.

_That's odd_, Sam thought, walking the rest of the way to the unguarded room. Sure enough, her standard swipe pass didn't work, but the one provided by Landry did the trick.

She'd expected to find Richard Woolsey lying in wait for her. Instead the room was its usual stark self, empty save for the usual table, two chairs and two very unusual items carefully placed on the table.

Walking over to the simple metal table, Sam smiled at the sight of a single red rose placed directly in front of one of the chairs. Next to the delicate blossom laid a simple white gift card. On the card was one word written in a pleasantly familiar scrawl, "Always".

Her breath caught momentarily as she realized she'd been expertly set up. There was no way Woolsey was the one behind this.

_Jack…_

Almost before she could think his name, Major General Jack O'Neill walked through the door.

As Jack closed the door tightly behind him, Sam took the opportunity to drink in the welcome sight of her husband. He'd set this up. She should be mad, at least irritated, shouldn't she? Somehow she couldn't muster much irritation at the moment.

Instead, she smiled radiantly.

"Woolsey's not here, is he?" She asked rhetorically.

"Better not be," Jack quipped. "I'm paying him big time for this one."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said, coming to stand directly in front of her. "Hey it's Valentine's Day. I can't have my wife in another galaxy on a day like this."

"And … since I was here only two weeks ago, you knew I wouldn't come for a visit no matter how much you begged…"

"See … you do understand," Jack said, his lips curving upward in a trademark smirk.

"So … the IOA doesn't really have any questions for me."

"Oh, Woolsey came up with a few … you know, so long as you were coming and all," Jack said, his hand coming up to caress her face. "But I convinced him I could get the information more … efficiently."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sam said. "General Landry said to tell … _you_, I suppose, 'all of your requirements' had been met. Do you know what that means?"

"Absolutely," Jack answered. "That means my friend Hank has disabled the monitoring devices in this room …"

_He thinks of everything_, Sam thought.

She smiled and moved closer. "So ..?"

"So I can do this," Jack added.

And with a tenderness born of love and impatient longing, he kissed her.

* * *

The End

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day. Hope you liked.


End file.
